Interplay between charge density wave and superconductivity in multi-band systems with inter-band Coulomb interaction

TL;DR

This paper investigates the competition and coexistence of charge density wave and superconductivity in a two-band model, revealing phase diagrams with various transition types and conditions for coexistence.

Contribution

It introduces a two-band model with inter-band Coulomb interaction and hybridization, analyzing phase diagrams and coexistence of CDW and SC in multi-band systems.

Findings

CDW and SC can compete or coexist depending on parameters.

The model reproduces experimental features of high-dimensional metals.

Phase diagrams include first and second-order transitions.

Abstract

In this work we study the competition or coexistence between charge density wave (CDW) and superconductivity (SC) in a two-band model system in a square lattice. One of the bands has a net attractive interaction ($J_d$) that is responsible for SC. The model includes on-site Coulomb repulsion between quasi-particles in different bands ($U_{dc}$) and the hybridization ($V$) between them. We are interested in describing inter-metallic systems with a $d$-band of moderately correlated electrons, for which a mean-field approximation is adequate, coexisting with a large $sp$-band. For simplicity, all interactions and the hybridization $V$ are considered site-independent. We obtain the eigenvalues of the Hamiltonian numerically and minimize the free energy density with respect to the relevant parameters to obtain the phase diagrams as function of $J_d$, $U_{dc}$, $V$, composition ($n_{\mathrm{tot}}$) and the relative depth of the bands ($\epsilon_{d0}$). We consider two types of superconducting ground states coexisting with the CDW. One is a homogeneous ground state and the other is a pair density wave where the SC order parameter has the same spatial modulation of the CDW. Our results show that the CDW and SC orders compete, but depending on the parameters of the model these phases may coexist. The model reproduces most of the experimental features of high dimensionality ($d>1$) metals with competing CDW and SC states, including the existence of first and second-order phase transitions in their phase diagrams.